Lost Innocence
by im-rogue-storm
Summary: There was so much terror and anguish flooding from those dark eyes that Ororo could hardly stand to look at them; what kind fo horrific things had happened to this sixteen-year-old to cause this sheer insanity? Right then, Ororo knew she would be unable t
1. Prelude

Lost Innocence  
  
Hello, everyone. Listen, this story could probably get away with a PG-13 rating, but I just want to be safe. I don't even know if I'll stick with this, simply because I'm kind of making it up as I go along, but hey, we'll see. This story does have a lot of violence and stuff, so just be warned, ok? I think one of the most violent parts is probably the prelude (which you're about to read) so you can kind of see what it'll be like from there. Review once you're done, will ya? I really need feedback on this one. Maybe some encouragement if you want me to continue. Just remember, no flames or I'll have to publicly humiliate you. Ok, so go on now; read on.  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of the X-Men or the Brotherhood, and the 'theme song' to this story is called 'Twilight' by Vanessa Carlton. No suing and no bugging me, cuz I did the disclaimer, so there. *smug smile*  
  
Prelude-  
  
I was stained, with a role  
In a day not my own  
But as you walked into my life  
You showed what needed to be shown  
I always knew, what was right  
I just didn't know that I might  
Peel away and choose to see  
With such a different sight  
  
And I will never see the sky the same way  
And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down  
And I will always reach too high, cuz I've seen  
Cuz I've seen, twilight  
  
The road was glinting wickedly in the dark night, the ice on its surface reflecting the headlights of passing cars and the streetlights above. Snow was being whipped against the vehicles, driving through cracks in the doors and windows and ferociously attacking the passengers inside. Meghan pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, adjusting her headphones and glancing up at her parents; her mother was clutching her armrest nervously, her lips a thin, white line and her father was squinting at the road, nervously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Meghan allowed her headphones to slide to her neck and whispered, "Mom.?"  
  
Her mother turned quickly, eyes wide; she relaxed instantly and smiled slightly, "What, Hun?"  
  
"Is.is everything ok?"  
  
"We're fine, Meg," her dad replied with forced calm, "The roads are just.just a little slick."  
  
Meghan's eyes flicked to her father's rearview mirror; his pale face and scared-looking eyes greeted her.  
  
He swallowed and grinned, trying vainly to bring back his old, spunky humor, "Hey, Kid. You don't think your old dad's scared, do ya?"  
  
Meghan shook her head, lips turning up at the corners, "No, Dad. Not you."  
  
Her father's familiar, comforting chuckle filled the car then, and her mother reached back to squeeze her hand, "It's ok, Honey. We'll be home soon."  
  
"Ok, Mom."  
  
Meghan gave her mother's hand a squeeze and gave her a courageous grin; her mom returned the gesture and turned back to the windshield. Meghan sighed slightly and slid her headphones back on, leaning her head back sleepily on her seat.  
  
Never cared never wanted  
Never sought to see what flaunted  
So on purpose so in my face  
Couldn't see beyond my own place  
It was so easy not to behold what I could hold  
But you taught me I could change  
Whatever came within these shallow days  
  
And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cuz I've seen  
Cuz I've seen, twilight  
  
The sound of crunching ice and shrieking tires jolted Meghan from her half- asleep state, and her head snapped up, eyes quickly turning to her parents. They were both leaning back in their seats, faces masks of horror, hands tightly clasping their seats. Slowly, Meghan turned her head to her window, where the scenery before her was spinning wildly in a whirlwind of color, and she felt her stomach drop as the truck she sat in began lurching sideways.  
  
As the sun shines through it pushes away  
And pushes ahead  
It fills the warmth of blue  
And leaves a chill instead and  
I didn't know that I could be  
So blind to all that is so real  
But as illusion dies  
I see there is so much to be revealed  
  
And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cuz I've seen  
Cuz I've seen, twilight  
  
In what seemed to be slow motion, the truck began tilting, tossing all of its occupants against the far windows, groaning in agony as the suitcases piled inside of it began to crash through the windows. Meghan felt a scream well up in her throat, blocking any breaths she desperately needed; her blood turned to ice in her veins as she saw the asphalt suddenly spring up to her window in vicious greeting. The crash that followed was deafening, and Meghan had only limited time to feel the agony of glass shards slicing through her skin and see the sparks that sprung up before her eyes. With a final sickening crunch and an explosion of pain to her head, blackness took her.  
  
I was stained, with a role  
In a day not my own  
But as you walked into my life  
You showed what needed to be shown  
I always knew, what was right  
I just didn't know that I might\  
Peel away and choose to see  
With such a different sight  
  
Meghan didn't witness her car slide across the wet pavement into the next few cars. She never heard the shrieking grinding of metal against metal as the vehicle was slammed into a sign. She was still unconscious as the truck spun once more, flipped onto its side and came to a halt. However, almost immediately afterwards, her eyes fluttered open and she weakly looked to her parents, who were both miraculously alive and awake.  
  
"Meghan! Oh God, Honey.are you alright?"  
  
Dimly, she heard her mother's echoing voice.  
  
She looked at her, the metallic tang of blood thick in her mouth and her skin oddly sticky and wet.  
  
She nodded painfully, wincing as a fiery pain erupted at the side of her head.  
  
"Don't move, Sweetie.just hold still."  
  
Her dad's voice sounded so deep and far away.  
  
"Just hold still.they're coming now.the police are coming to help.here they come."  
  
Meghan dimly heard the car's door being torn open.  
  
"What.where's the police?"  
  
She'd never heard her dad so uncertain before.  
  
In that instant, her senses became inhumanly sharp, and her pain diminished as she turned to see who her dad was speaking to.  
  
And I will never see the sky the same way.  
  
The one thing that really caught Meghan's eyes was the gun. The gun being held against her mother's temple. Meghan sat up more, heart starting to beat a littler faster, mouth going dry as her blood turned to ice in her veins.  
  
"Who are you?" her father repeated.  
  
There was a sound like a muffled scream, and Meghan turned sharply to her father's side. Her eyes grew wide in horror and she screamed loudly, uncontrollably, backing away from her dad's seat, and then falling forward, grabbing the hands that had plunged the knife so deeply into her dad's chest.  
  
From her mouth came a jumble of words that flowed out so quickly Meghan had no time even to think them. All she knew was that her daddy was hurt, and that his blood was on her hands as she fought to help him. She was pushed back roughly, and as she tumbled into her mother's lap, there was a ear-shattering blast. Meghan screamed and covered her head, breathing heavily as the sharp, sour stench of gun smoke filled the air.  
  
She could feel something warm dripping on her arm, and she slowly looked up at her mother; her body began convulsing with sobs and uncontrollable shaking instantly. She hardly noticed as someone grabbed her arms and jerked her up, wrapping one arm around her waist and using the free hand to hold a gun to her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in rivers, her blood-drenched hands scrabbling desperately at the arm holding her away from her parents.  
  
"Let go!" she shrieked, "No I have to save them please let go please don't do this let go please PLEASE!"  
  
She heard dark laughter behind her and could do nothing but sob as she watched the velvet sky erupt with bloody fireworks.  
  
And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday.  
  
After a while, Meghan's body couldn't take the lack of oxygen and the sudden shock. She fell limply against her captor, still trembling, tears still trickling down her face. After a while, the bloody show stopped and she watched her parents' limp forms be dragged out of the cars; she never saw them again.  
  
And I will never cease to fly if held down.  
  
The person holding her turned out to be a woman.a mutant woman. "What's your name?" she asked softly after Meghan had calmed down somewhat.  
  
Meghan found herself unable to speak, so all she did was close her eyes, biting her lower lip as she fought to forget what she had just witnessed.  
  
"It's Meghan.isn't it?"  
  
She felt cool fingers brush across her cheek as they pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, and she felt chills run through her.  
  
"How old are you, Meghan? Sixteen?"  
  
Meghan slowly nodded, feeling nausea creep into her mouth; she swallowed hard. Then there was another voice, a jeering and loud one: "She sure doesn't look it, eh Mystique? She looks ten. Short thing."  
  
There was loud laughter, and then the gun left her head for a moment as a jarring thump sounded nearby. Someone cursed and gasped, and then the woman spoke again, angry, "Toad, you'd do well to keep your mouth shut."  
  
Meghan felt her body begin to tremble again, and she closed her eyes, feeling sick as she saw her parents limp forms in her head again.  
  
"You should relax, Meghan," whispered Mystique softly, "So much stress could really wear you out."  
  
"Whaddya gonna do with her?" asked Toad sulkily but curiously.  
  
There was a short silence, and then Meghan felt herself being whipped around, and she gasped as something rammed her in the stomach, causing her to collapse.  
  
Mystique caught her, allowing her to fall to her knees and then tilting her chin up with her hand, "I think I just might put her out of her misery."  
  
There was scattered cheering surrounding Meghan, but she couldn't look away from Mystique's cold eyes; she sat frozen, gasping for breath, blinking back tears.  
  
Then, Mystique's lips parted, revealing white teeth, "But then.that wouldn't be any fun at all, would it, Boys?"  
  
Meghan dropped her gaze, unable to look into those loathing, scintillating eyes any longer.  
  
Mystique let the gun drop to the ground as she reached out and took Meghan's face in both of her hands, "Maybe I'll take her home with me."  
  
Meghan felt an engulfing fire of horror erupt inn her, and she shook her head quickly, eyes wide, fists clenched.  
  
Mystique cocked her head to the side, acting hurt, "No? You wouldn't like to come home with me? You wouldn't like to say with the boys and me?"  
  
Meghan shook her head again.  
  
"Oh.too bad.she doesn't want to stay with us, Boys."  
  
Her 'audience' laughed slightly and then shouted out a chorus of disappointed 'awww's'.  
  
Mystique chuckled darkly, leaning forward until her face was inches from Meghan's, "Too bad I don't care about what she wants."  
  
And I will always reach too high.  
  
Meghan hardly sensed anything that happened within the next hour. She could see herself being tied with wire and she could feel the dirty cloth in her mouth as Toad gagged her.  
  
She smelled soiled seats of the car she was carelessly tossed into and tasted the metallic tang of blood that ran freely from her nose.  
  
She heard the engine start with a roar and knew she was being kidnapped and possibly taken to her death.  
  
But it all seemed like an unbelievable dream; she wished the next few weeks could have been like that.  
  
Cuz I've seen.  
  
The screams and wails coming from the old mansion were nothing new to the neighboring residents, so they never tried to investigate or call the cops. Instead they turned their TVs up higher and hummed along to their favorite songs as, up the street, a young girl was tortured mercilessly.  
  
Cuz I've seen.  
  
Ororo Monroe first heard Meghan's name as she sat with her fellow teammates in the living room, listening to Charles Xavier speak. Ororo was one of the many renowned mutant heroes known as the X-Men, and Xavier was currently speaking of their arch rival's latest 'joy ride'. The Brotherhood had murdered countless people and taken Meghan from her car several weeks before, bringing her with them to do who-knew-what. Now, after endless hours of searching and worrying, the child had been found in an dirty alleyway, half-alive and staring blankly at the sky above her. She was currently being held at the local hospital, and latest reports told of permanent physical, mental, and emotional scars. Meghan was not alright. She refused to speak and sat in her bed with her eyes wide open, lips closed to any drink or food. She screamed if anyone came near her and began sobbing uncontrollably when touched. Sometimes she would burst into inconsolable tears and simply lie limply on the bed, wailing. The strangest things could set Meghan into a fit of terror, in which she would shriek endlessly, tearing out her IV and leaping out of the bed, scrabbling madly at the windows or closed doors and babbling insanely. Nobody knew what had happened and even the dozens of psychiatrists and specialists were stumped. The Brotherhood had disappeared long ago, and although many police officers and civilians were still on the lookout for them, most of the focus was on Meghan and her strange insanity. Xavier seemed strangely attached to the child, as if his very life depended on her safety, and already he was planning to send someone up to see her. Ororo didn't know why, but she, too, felt something towards the child. Never before had she even see the girl face-to-face, but something tugged at her heart every time she heard of Meghan, and when Xavier started to send Jean Grey to see the child, Ororo interrupted firmly, "I'll go."  
  
Everyone turned and stared at her; Ororo was not usually one to volunteer for things like this.  
  
Injured and hurting children were things Ororo tended to stay away from; Jean, on the other hand, was a registered doctor and was used to such things.  
  
However, Ororo firmly stuck to her decision, and Xavier allowed her to go; that decision would change everyone's lives forever.  
  
Twilight 


	2. Chapter One

Hello again everyone.  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my two favorite reviewers for this story (also the only ones):  
  
Band geek #9: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like it so much! *pats head* Good puppy.  
  
  
  
EternalEvanescence: You reviewed BOTH of my stories?!? How cool! You and I do portray the Brotherhood differently, don't we? *gets thoughtful look* How intriguing. Thank you for the review. My whole face lit up when I saw it was your review. You make me so happy *starts singing nattily* *gets smacked by huge hand from nowhere* Sorry. I had too much chocolate today.  
  
Now, since you've both been waiting sooooo long, here's the next chap:  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
~ dark  
cold  
chains  
hurt  
pain  
voices  
blood  
tears  
screams  
hungry  
thirsty  
tired  
scared  
begging  
crying  
hitting  
kicking  
pushing  
pulling  
scratching  
smashing  
tripping  
ripping  
choking  
hurting  
begging  
sobbing  
shrieking  
dark ~  
  
Ororo Monroe looked up from the smudged and torn paper in her hand, looking confused and disturbed, "She wrote this?"  
  
The doctor before her nodded sadly, "Yes, she did. She wrote that last night. I wasn't there when she did, but I found it just this morning."  
  
Ororo bit her lip, keeping her eyes on the scribbled words before her, "And she.she wrote it with.what?"  
  
"Apparently she got hold of a pen. She's not allowed to have them in there with her, for obvious reasons. But she got hold of one, wrote that, and then scratched her arm with it. It took ten stitches."  
  
Ororo looked up sharply, swallowing back a wave of nausea; maybe this wasn't such a grand idea. This was her first visit with Meghan, she hadn't even met her yet, and she was already getting scared. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she asked, "Doctor Johnson-"  
  
"Please. Call me Heather-"  
  
"Heather, how long has she been here now?"  
  
"About two weeks. We haven't gotten a word out of her, and she never leaves her bed. We can't even feed her unless we sedate her."  
  
Heather frowned slightly, noting Ororo's pale face and dizzy expression, "Are you sure you can handle this? You don't have to, you know."  
  
Ororo shook her head firmly, "No. I do have to. I need to find out exactly what happened, so we can track down the Brotherhood. It's my duty to the X- Men.and to myself."  
  
Heather smiled slightly, reaching out and squeezing Storm's hand, "Alright. I'll call you when you can come in. We need to strap her down first."  
  
Feeling a wave of sickening cold crash over her, Storm nodded, watching as the doctor headed down the hall.  
  
Sliding wearily into a chair, Ororo set the slip of paper on her lap, letting her face fall into her hands; maybe this was just a little too fast. Maybe she should have started with something minor, like a child with simple depression. She could have become a big sister to someone, but no; she had jumped right into the psycho ward to befriend and question a mentally unstable sixteen year old who apparently thought she was six and refused to speak.  
  
"I've done it now," Storm groaned, "I just had to volunteer.just had to go right for the throat."  
  
But then, Ororo knew deep inside that this was the only way to confront her painful past,. This was the only way to face her fears and really help the X-Men. This was the only way to make those nightmares go away.  
  
Sitting up a little straighter, ignoring the throbbing bile that had risen to her throat, Ororo reached over and grabbed a nearby magazine, flipping it open and staring blankly at the pictures.  
  
  
  
Within minutes (it seemed an instant for Storm), the nurse leaned over the reception desk she sat at and called, "Ororo, you can go in now. Just go straight through those two doors to your left and down the hall. A guard will escort you to Meghan's room."  
  
Ororo nodded mutely and stood, her knees beginning to weaken. Taking a deep breath, she turned into the doors, pushing them open and walking through as they swung forward.  
  
The hallway was long and lit brightly, gleaming white from every direction. It smelled strongly of alcohol and antiseptic, and her boots clicked strangely on the linoleum floors, echoing back to her eerily.  
  
All in all, it wasn't a comforting walk to the armed young man at the end of the hall.  
  
The boy smiled and extended a hand, "Hi. I'm Mark. You must be Ororo?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Nice to meet you. I'll take you to Meghan's room."  
  
Storm shook his hand warily and watched as he unlocked a door and strolled through, into the next room.  
  
Storm followed and blinked, the sudden change from bright spaces to dimly lit chambers hurting her eyes. She trailed Mark past rows and rows of white, metal doors that had windows set into the top and that had metallic numbers engraved into a nearby sign. A few times she allowed herself a glance through the barred glass, but she could see nothing beyond them except white rooms and beds.  
  
At one of the mentioned doors, Mark stopped and swiped a card through a machine that beeped strangely before allowing the door to click open. Mark stepped back and gestured Storm to head in, giving her an encouraging grin as she passed him.  
  
  
  
Meghan's room was like the others-inhumanly clean and blaringly plain, with nothing but a cot, a padded shelf, and a plastic chair. It smelled very bland and fresh, and everything was set neatly against the cushioned walls. After glancing nervously around the room for a while, Storm caught sight of a pair of dark blue eyes staring at her from the bed.  
  
Ororo turned a little, silently watching as the eyes blinked at her.  
  
Mark shut the door softly and nudged Storm forward, whispering, "That's her. Say hi."  
  
Storm felt foolishly like a child in kindergarten class as she softly said, "Hi."  
  
Slowly, the blanket slid away from the eyes, revealing an oval-shaped face covered with tousled auburn hair.  
  
Meghan's wrists were both held to the bed by straps, but she had been allowed to sit up at least.  
  
Gathering her courage, Ororo took a step forward, "My name's Ororo.you're Meghan, right?"  
  
No answer, only a tilted head and a slightly blank look.  
  
Mark cleared his throat, "She's your friend, Meg. She's here to help. Don't be scared."  
  
Meghan's eyes never left Ororo's, and her stare was so intense that the older woman had to glance away.  
  
Mark chuckled, "Don't let her scare you. She's harmless to others, really."  
  
Storm gave a weak laugh, beginning to wish she'd simply let Jean do this.  
  
"Think of her as a young child," Mark offered, , "She's just a little kid up here."  
  
He tapped his head slightly.  
  
Ororo nodded in understanding.  
  
Meghan looked down at her hands and quietly traced a finger along her palm. As she did so, the blanket slid off of her shoulders and Storm saw a blood- streaked bandage on her arm.  
  
"Is that where.?"  
  
Mark nodded solemnly, his eyes focusing on the child's arm, "Yea. That's where she cut herself."  
  
After a second, Ororo sighed, "Does she even know we're here?"  
  
"Yea. I think she does. She just doesn't really like to show emotion. I'm pretty sure she likes company though."  
  
It was then that Meghan lifted up her hand and began staring at the chains binding her wrists.  
  
Mark's face went suddenly very still, and he watched her carefully.  
  
Meghan's eyes widened slightly, and her gaze drifted down to the base of the chain, attached to the bed.  
  
After a second, she tugged experimentally on it. Then she pulled harder.  
  
That was when she started panicking.  
  
Mark sighed, swearing under his breath as he quickly raced out the door.  
  
Ororo watched him leave with growing concern, turning as Meghan let out a whimper.  
  
The child was now jerking forcefully on the chain with both hands, tears forming in her eyes and her breath coming in sharp gasps.  
  
Unsure of what to do, Storm simply watched in astonishment as Meghan began screaming incoherently, throwing herself against the wall and scratching at the straps on her arms. The leather held fast though, and even when she leaned all of her weight against it and tore at the straps, it stayed taut and strong.  
  
In seconds, half a dozen people had burst into the room, shouting medical terms and basically tackling poor Meghan down.  
  
Meghan took this as a sign of attack and began fighting heatedly, shrieking and sobbing as she kicked and thrashed under the team's grip.  
  
One of the nurses managed to fill a syringe and immediately jabbed it into Meghan's arm, squirting the contents into her veins.  
  
In what seemed a second, Meghan went limp and the noise subsided.  
  
The people left without a word, shaking their heads sadly and muttering to one another.  
  
Mark came in as soon as they left and stared at Meghan, sighing, "We really thought she'd be ok."  
  
Ororo, still stunned form the display, could only nod.  
  
"It was her first time with any real visitors, so she's never been held down like that. I don't know what triggered the outburst though."  
  
Storm was pressed against the far wall, tears starting to sting her eyes.  
  
Mark glanced at her, "You OK?"  
  
Without a word, Ororo slowly slipped over to the bed, standing above Meghan and watching her quietly.  
  
Sleeping like she was, with the blanket draped slightly over her and her face so relaxed, Meghan looked so much more peaceful.  
  
Storm wondered if she was happy when she slept.  
  
Tentatively, Storm reached out and brushed the girl's hair with her fingertips, drawing her hand back sharply when Meghan stirred.  
  
Without a word, Ororo turned and strode past Mark, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
  
  
Mark caught up with Ororo in the parking lot, where the obviously shaken woman was jamming the wrong key into her car door.  
  
"Ororo, I just want.to apologize for what you had to see."  
  
Storm nodded, "It's alright, Mark. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"It kinda was. I went to get the nurses. It's my job. When Meghan starts to panic, she can hurt herself. That's why they sedated her."  
  
Storm paused, switching keys, "I know."  
  
Mark watched as Storm's shaking hand slid the key into the lock and turned it sharply.  
  
"Storm.is something wrong?"  
  
Ororo caught her breath, allowing herself to relax. Finally, she replied, "It just shocked me, is all. I.didn't know that's what happened.they just.came in and stuck her with a needle, and then she.fell over.almost like she was..dead."  
  
Mark nodded in understanding, "Yea. It's kinda creepy. That's why I stayed out of the room when they did it.sorry I didn't warn you."  
  
Storm shook her head, "It's alright."  
  
She opened the door then and slid into the driver's seat, pausing before closing the door.  
  
Mark leaned forward, resting an arm on the door and smiling slightly, "You gonna come back?"  
  
Ororo thought about that, staring out of her windshield as she pondered. Finally, she nodded, "Yes. I'll be back.I'll be back in a few days. I just need to think things over. But I'll be back."  
  
Mark's grin widened, "Cool. Meghan will be happy."  
  
Ororo turned to Mark, giving him a grateful smile, "Thanks for your help."  
  
"You're welcome," Mark replied jovially, stepping back as the door closed.  
  
He waved as Storm backed out of her parking spot, and watched as she drove down the street.  
  
He smiled again, but it was a much different gesture as his eyes flashed yellow for only a split second. 


	3. Chapter Two

Hey peeps. Sorry if this chapter sux, but I had to post it in kind of a hurry, due to parental rushing. ;-)  
  
Queen of the Elven city: Can I call you Queenie for short? How bout Elf? Queen Elf? City? Lol. Aww.I got insane claps! *bows weepily*  
  
EternalEvanascent: She hath disappeared! *begins searching frantically* ETERNAL?!?!? ARE YOU THERE?!?!?!? Lol.  
  
Bandgeek#9: Special thanx to you again, Dearest. My first reviewer. *sniffle*  
  
Ok, enough blab. Here you are:  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was not an ordinary school.  
  
It was not, in truth, a mere academy for 'gifted youngsters', though gifted, the children were.  
  
It was, in truth, a learning ground for young mutants, a safe place for those scorned and hated by humanity.  
  
Ororo Monroe had lived there for nearly a decade, and she was so used to the magnificent building that it hardly stunned her like it had the first day she'd been there.  
  
The building was a rich cream color, its hundreds of windows shimmering in the sunlight like gold while the front door welcomed occupants with its mahogany engraved front. The grounds were spacious and wide, stretching forever in rolling hills or emerald dotted here and there by colorful flower beds and fountains.  
  
The entrance was guarded by a cast iron gate, and only students or teachers of the school could enter.  
  
Ororo sat along one of the many pathways winding through the grounds, a cool breeze whispering through her hair, the faint chirping of crickets leaving a pleasant hum in her ears. She could hear the students laughing and splashing in the pool nearby, and the spicy smell of freshly cut grass enticed her.  
  
Next to her, her best friend Jean Gray was on the ground, leaning her head back on the bench as she spoke.  
  
"You have to understand, Ororo,:" she was saying softly, "They had to do it. They couldn't just let her scream and scratch at herself like that."  
  
"But did they have to do it so.harshly?" Ororo sighed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, "Why couldn't they have been more gentle?"  
  
"It's a little hard to be gentle with a thrashing child," Jean pointed out.  
  
Storm shook her head, "They just.piled on top of her and.stabbed her with the needle. I just don't understand."  
  
It had been nearly two days since her visit to the hospital, but the memory of Meghan's frightened eyes and loud screams were still fresh in her mind.  
  
Jean sat up a little more, stretching, "Listen 'Ro, just try to picture yourself in their place. There's a horrified kid tearing at her straps and screaming bloody murder. You don't know what she'll do if she gets free, and while she's struggling, she's hurting herself by scraping her skin on her nails. ON top of that, you have an already-nervous visitor-who happens to be a mutant-and you're responsible for her safety. Wouldn't you have done the same?"  
  
Storm thought about that for a while, her eyes scanning the color-splashed sky above. Finally, she nodded slightly, "I suppose I 2would have.maybe not quite so abruptly and not so harshly.but I would have."  
  
"I thought so," Jean replied, smiling slightly as she laid a hand on top of her friend's, "Just give it another shot, 'Ro. By now I'm pretty sure they've figured out how to better handle her."  
  
Ororo bit her lip, actually considering her friend's seemingly manic proposal.  
  
Eventually, she surprised herself by agreeing.  
  
By the next day, she was on the road to the one place she thought she'd never go to again.  
  
  
  
The first hour or so of her visit was the same: Visit the doctor, hear about Meghan, wait for a while, meet Mark in the corridor (he seemed glad to see her), go to Meghan's room, say hi, and stand dumbly to one side.  
  
Meghan was strapped down again, but this time her blanket covered the chains and she was lying down. For the first couple of minutes, Mark explained to Storm about Meghan's health, and about how they were getting worried that she would go into a coma from shock.  
  
"She's just been doing so horribly these last few days," Mark explained, eyes glued to Meghan, "She completely freaks out if anyone goes near her. That's why she's watching us both now, to make sure we stay here."  
  
It was true; Meghan's eyes were focused on her visitors, and she seemed slightly tense, despite the fact that she was lying down.  
  
Ororo gave her a friendly smile, forcing herself to seem completely calm and in charge, "I hope you're planning on eating soon," she said quietly, "It just isn't healthy not to eat."  
  
Meghan blinked.  
  
"She acts so different around you," Mark laughed, "Not so robotic and skittish."  
  
Ororo smiled, watching as Meghan sat up slightly and stared at her ceiling; her muscles relaxed slightly.  
  
"What do you think she sees?" she asked Mark softly.  
  
Mark shrugged, "Beats me. Probably her own little world."  
  
Then, following a slight crackle, a speaker above them sounded, "Mark Jacobs, please come to the front desk. Your cousin is here to see you."  
  
"My cousin?" Mark looked truly confused for a minute, and then he laughed, "Oh. Yea! I forgot. My cousin's here from Florida."  
  
He started for the door, and then paused, turning back to look at Storm, "You gonna be ok for a few minutes? I'll just tell him to meet me after work."  
  
Storm thought for a second, turning to look at Meghan, who was now staring in awe at the speaker.  
  
"I'll be fine," she finally said, and watched nervously as Mark left.  
  
Ororo once again glanced at Meghan; she was staring at her.  
  
Ororo smiled, "Hi."  
  
Meghan blinked.  
  
"Do you like this room?" Ororo sat down on the chair, scooting it away form the bed, "It just seems so plain to me."  
  
She thought for a second, her eyes scanning the room, her creative tendencies sparking.  
  
She grinned, "With a few flowers there, and a mirror or two, and some color, this room would be great to relax in. WE should give the nurses a heads up."  
  
Ororo laughed at her own joke.  
  
Meghan smiled.  
  
Storm was certain she saw her smile out of the corner of her.  
  
She stopped laughing abruptly, gazing intently at the child.  
  
"Did you just smile?"  
  
Meghan blinked.  
  
Disappointment sank in her chest, "Oh. I thought I saw.never mind." She paused for a second, and then smiled softly, "I never really thought I'd be talking to you so soon after.last time. I never really thought I'd come here again after that. It wasn't YOUR fault.it was just the way the people came in so suddenly.does that scare you?  
  
Ororo shook her head, "I must be going nuts. You probably can't even here me, right? You know something.I've never really felt so insecure before. I've never really shown anyone how scared I can be. See, when I'm with the X-Men, I'm really different. Lots more bossy.braver.really, much more mature. I just feel so.childish in here."  
  
Meghan blinked and cocked her head to the side.  
  
Storm frowned slightly, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were listening to me."  
  
Meghan's blue eyes seemed to flicker for an instant.  
  
Then she turned away and stared up at the ceiling again.  
  
Ororo sighed, "I really wish I could understand what happened to you. I'll bet you were so interesting before.before what happened."  
  
The swung lightly open in that instant, and Mark came in, followed by who Storm assumed to be his cousin.  
  
"Hey, Ororo. This is my cousin Todd. Todd, this is Ororo, and you already know Meghan."  
  
Todd looked younger than Mark by at least five years, but stood almost as tall as him. He was dressed in all black and covered completely, from head to foot.  
  
"Hi," Ororo said, and she was surprised to hear her voice sounding so bold and confident.  
  
Odd nodded in reply.  
  
"Todd doesn't talk much. And he doesn't like people to see him."  
  
Mark leaned forward and whispered confidentially, "He's a m-u-t-a-n-t."  
  
"Oh!" Ororo raised her eyebrows, "He is?"  
  
Mark nodded, "Yea. He's still getting used to it." A startled gasp caused all of them to turn towards Meghan, who was star8ing at Todd with a mask of horror on her face.  
  
Ororo didn't think she'd ever seen anyone look so scared. Meghan's face was drained of all color, her eyes wide and frightened, her body starting to tremble.  
  
Her dark eyes flickered form Mark to Todd quickly, and a sudden sense of recognition seemed to hit her as she let out a terrified shriek, throwing herself backwards.  
  
She saw the straps.  
  
Mark swore loudly, shoving Todd out of the door as he raced down the hallway.  
  
Todd stood for a second, seeming a little stuned, and then he turned and followed his cousin.  
  
Ororo felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness start to drown her, and she pressed herself against the wall, heart thudding painfully.  
  
Meghan was banging on the wall, screaming incoherently, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Storm's mind was fogging up, becoming lost in a blanket of fear.  
  
Shaking her head, she turned and started for the door, until Meghan suddenly turned, sobbing desperately, holding her arms out to her, "Please don't leave me please come back help me please don't go please!"  
  
Ororo stood rooted to the spot, breath caught in her throat, mnouth going dry.  
  
Meghan continued her pleas as the sounds of footsteps echoed ever closer, scrabbling madly in the air for.for her.  
  
For Storm.  
  
For a person she'd only just met a few days before and someone whom she had probably never even paid much attention to.  
  
Maybe it was some long-hidden maternal instinct.  
  
Maybe it was a crazy impulse.  
  
Maybe it was just a simple case of spontaneity.  
  
Storm rushed forward after only a moment's hesitation and tore the straps loose, taking the shaking child in her arms and falling on the bed, embracing her tightly.  
  
"It's ok.I'm here, you're safe now.I've got you."  
  
Ororo had never spoken those words before.  
  
Not once.  
  
And somehow, they sounded so practiced and perfect.  
  
As half a dozen nurses entered the room, they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of Storm cradling the still-shuddering child.  
  
No one said anything.  
  
Eventually, Mark squeezed his way into the room, frowning in confusion; when Meghan saw him, she ceased moving altogether.  
  
Mark grinned, "Hey, Kid. It's ok. I'm here now."  
  
He held out his arms, "Wanna come to Uncle Mark?"  
  
Meghan's eyes seemed to go dead in that instant.  
  
The sudden spark of life and awareness went out.  
  
She went somewhat limp in Storm's arms and let the arms wrapped tightly around the woman's neck fall to her lap.  
  
Mark smiled and took her, hugging her tightly "Hey! You ok now? Was that all you needed was a pretty lady's hug?"  
  
Ororo smiled slightly, the confusion in her mind stronger now then ever.  
  
Mark gave her a thumbs-up as he lifted Meghan up and set her on her bed, kneeling before her and talking softly.  
  
The nurses all gave Storm grateful looks, like they had just been saved form Hell itself.  
  
Ororo nodded in response and followed them out, casting a last wary glance at Meghan before leaving.  
  
She nearly collided with Todd on the way out.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you."  
  
"It's ok. Is she alright now?"  
  
His voice sounded almost familiar, but Storm ignored that fact and nodded, "Yea. She's ok."  
  
Todd grinned (or at least Ororo was pretty sure that he did), "You got a way with kids."  
  
"I guess so," Storm replied softly as she walked slowly away.  
  
  
  
Mark looked up as the door to the room closed after Todd.  
  
"Way to go, showing p and alerting everyone," he snapped.but it wasn't in his voice.  
  
Todd shrugged, sliding his sunglasses off and removing his hat, "You told me to check in sometime. So I did."  
  
"I didn't mean while SHE was here, Toad!"  
  
Slowly but surely, Mark's well-tanned skin began to shift, melting and twisting until it became a shimmering blue. His muscular body slimmed somewhat, his uniform dissolving into nothing and leaving scaly patches in some places.  
  
His brown hair withered away, replaced by a stream of red.  
  
His green eyes flushed out, replaced by an ethereal, glowing yellow.  
  
Toad swallowed slightly, "Well.sorry, Mystique."  
  
"Sorry won't cut it," Mystique hissed, "Now you've put that creature on alert. She's suspicious, you imbecile!"  
  
Toad sighed, slumped against the wall, "I said sorry.maybe she won't.won't notice?"  
  
Mystique was silent for a moment as she turned to Meghan and smiled slightly, "At least now dear little Meg can see that her old friends are back. I honestly didn't want her to see it was me for at least another week.but I suppose I can't do much about that now."  
  
Meghan stared hard at the wall, forcing herself to believe that Mystique was not sitting on the edge of her bed, within inches of her.  
  
"Meghan, I know you can hear me."  
  
--Nope. Can't,-- Meghan thought to herself, and almost smiled  
  
"Meghan, look at me."  
  
--Uh uh. Don't think so--  
  
In the next instant, she felt Mystique's hand at the back of her neck, "Meghan, I don't like being ignored. Look at me.NOW."  
  
Biting her lip, tears starting to bloom in her eyes already, Meghan slowly turned, her head hung and her eyes gazing timidly up at Mystique through her bangs.  
  
Mystique gave her a smile and tilted her chin up with her hand,. "That's better. Let me see you. I haven't gotten to really look at you since I came here."  
  
Meghan obediently remained motionless as Mystique's eyes traveled over her face.  
  
The woman laughed slightly, tracing her finger along a jagged scar on Meghan's cheek, "I didn't think they'd be able to get rid of that."  
  
Meghan silently swallowed back a wave of nausea and tried hard to become a robot.  
  
--Why do I always forget these things when I need them?-  
  
"You know, Meghan, I really liked the little poem you wrote about your room back at the house. It really was very flattering." She snickered, cocking her head to the side as she mimicked, "Dark, cold, chains, hurt, pain."  
  
Meghan repressed a shudder and tried to recoil form Myustique, but the older female grasped her wrist and pulled her closer, "Tell me, Dareling, why did you wirte that poem, anyway?"  
  
Meghan stared hard at the ground, trembling.  
  
After a second, Mystique tightened her grip on Meghan's arm, "Do I really need to remind you already that I don't like to be ignored? Answer me."  
  
Meghan closed her eyes, tears streaming silently over her eyelashes; this was a game she always lost. If she spoke, she got beaten; if she stayed silent, she got beaten.  
  
Already the anger was rising in Mystique's voice, and Meghan cringed, whimpering.  
  
"Why do you continue to be so rebellious? Have I taught you nothing?"  
  
The first blow wans;t as bad as Meghan had expected, but it was hard enough to knock her backwards, onto the bed.  
  
"When I ask something I expect an answer!"  
  
Meghan tensed her muscles, breathing hard, trying desperately to remember what lessened the pain.  
  
She felt a stinging slap sear across her face and she landed face-down on the bed, something warm oozing from her nose.  
  
Mystique's rage filled the entire room, so thick that the air dripped with it.  
  
Meghan wasn't sure how many times she got hit, but she did know that in a matter of seconds, her entire body was screaming for relief from the agony it was drowning in.  
  
Just as Meghan felt ready to collapse form pain and was barely able to hold her cries in, Mystique reached down and jerked her up by her hair, drawing back her hand to hit her again.  
  
"Mystique!" Toad interjected, "Can't you just.stop now? I mean.you don't wanna kill the kid.you know.arouse suspicion."  
  
Meghan watched as Mystique pondered Toad's words, fist still suspended, hand still clutching Meghan's hair.  
  
After what seemed an eternity, Mystique allowed Meghan to drop to the bed, sneering at her condescendingly, "You're pathetic."  
  
Then her features softened somewhat, and she smiled softly as she drew the blankets around Meghan, "Sleep tight, Sweetness. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
It was not a friendly statement. 


	4. Chapter Three

Hey everyone! Ok, I WAS going to give up on this, but I guess not! I can't believe how many people have been reviewing lately! Tell ya'll what, as long as I get more reviews, I'll keep this up, ok? I have some pretty interesting ideas for this fic... ;-)  
  
Songbreeze: Hey! Thanks for the review! I like your screen name! It's very original! (  
  
Chronicles Bailey: Hey! Thanks for reviewing. Where'd you get your username from?  
  
And to everyone else who reviewed WAAAAAAAAAAAAY back in January, lol: Hey everyone! Didja miss me?I'm BAACK! So START REVIEWING! LOL.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Auntie 'Ro, don't worry so much! I'll be perfectly fine! It's just down the street. I'll be back in a few, ok?"  
  
"Well...I guess, Ian. Just...be careful, alright?"  
  
"Always."  
  
Ororo smiled as her nephew kissed her abruptly on the cheek, muttered a quick 'love ya', and hurried to join his friends down the street, where they waited to head over to the skate-park.  
  
Ororo sighed and leaned against a wall of the school, watching the teenage boy disappear around the corner as he laughed with his group of 'homies'(as he so often referred to them as); she normally didn't have a problem with him going off to skate with them.  
  
He'd always returned home perfectly fine, with maybe a few scrapes and bruises, but always a big grin and a huge hug to greet her with.  
  
So why was she so anxious now?  
  
She supposed it was the recent news reports of the serial murders that had been going on; already, over a dozen people had been found brutally slaughtered; no one could find any connection to them at all.  
  
Some were men, some women...one was even a child, a young boy by the name of Jason Michaels.  
  
Simply knowing that someone out there was on a killing spree and had already killed someone close to Ian's age made Ororo's skin crawl with horror; she didn't know WHAT she would do if her nephew turned up dead.  
  
She shook off her fears though as she turned to walk into the mansion, reasoning with herself that Ian was a very careful child, oftentimes rambunctious and goofy, but never foolish.  
  
He would be perfectly fine.  
  
Quite suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of white light, and Ororo was temporarily blinded as she turned the knob to the front door and stumbled inside, arms held in front of her to steady herself.  
  
By the time she could agai8n see, she was aghast to find herself not in the mansion, but outside still, near the skate-park where Ian was.  
  
It was much later then she remembered; the sky was dark and starless, and the way the ivory clouds streamed through it gave Ororo goosebumps.  
  
"What is going on here?" she whispered as she stepped through an ethereally shadowy alleyway.  
  
There was absolutely no sound but that of her heartbeat and footsteps as she slipped silently along in the shadows, her eyes searching keenly for some sign of where she was.  
  
A harshly icy wind cut through her like a knife, whistling over the bare path like a hungry wolf, passing her by as quickly as it had come, leaving her shivering miserably.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
The silence was broken suddenly by a choked sob, and Ororo whirled around, searching for the source of the noise.  
  
The crying continued and wouldn't stop, only growing louder and reverberating around Ororo until it became a shrill wail filled with such terror and agony that the woman had to cover her ears in fear.  
  
As she did so she backed against a wall and slid to the ground, closing her eyes against the sudden onslaught of tears that stung her eyes.  
  
"MAKE IT STOP!" she shrieked, shaking her head, "STOP IT!"  
  
But the sound only grew louder, pulsating like a live creature, reaching for Ororo's throat and closing in around her.  
  
Breathing hard, Ororo scrambled to her feet and began running, racing down the endless alleyway as fast as she could while the creature chased after her.  
  
It wouldn't stop crying out for help, and as she ran she tried desperately to close her ears to the sound, "I CAN'T HELP YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE, LEVE ME ALONE!  
  
It was then that she felt her feet fall over something in her path and she tumbled over it, hitting her head on the ground.  
  
Just before she felt herself drifting into darkness, her eyes slid into position and she caught sight of her nephew, lying in a pool of his own blood.  
  
His eyes stared at her bleakly, unblinking.  
  
He was dead.  
  
So was she.  
  
There was another blaze of light, and Ororo Munroe sat up in bed screaming.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There were many reasons that Jean Grey-Summers was Ororo Munroe's best friend; and this was one of them.  
  
It was exactly 4:24 in the morning.  
  
The sky was the periwinkle blue of early morning, and stars still lingered, waiting for the sun to rise.  
  
Everyone in the mansion was still asleep, happily snoring away in dreamland—except for Jean and Ororo, who were sitting in the kitchen, g=facing each other and sipping at steaming mugs of hot cocoa.  
  
"It was exactly the same?" Jean was asking, her eyes still bloodshot from her broken sleep.  
  
Ororo nodded, resting her chin in her hand as she stared miserably at the ceiling, "Exactly the same. I thought that my visits with Meghan would stop them—take my eyes off of myself and my miseries, but...no. The nightmare is more vivid then ever before."  
  
Jean nodded in understanding, sipping tenderly at her drink, "Well, you can't expect things like this to just go away, 'Ro. Ian...Ian was a very spectacular kid. When he disappeared, everyone went into a panic. Especially since...well, the murders and all. When the police..."  
  
She hesitated, setting her mug down and staring across at Ororo; she didn't need to read minds to know how much it hurt Ororo to talk about this.  
  
Slowly, she reached across the bar and squeezed her friend's hand, "When the police found him, it was really rough for all of us, especially you. It's only been a year, 'Ro. Give yourself time to grieve. He was your nephew, you know."  
  
Ororo laughed bitterly, "Yes. I know."  
  
Jean ran a hand through her thick hair, sighing heavily; she wished almost more than Ororo that these nightmares would stop.  
  
They'd been going on almost nonstop now since Ian's death, and they were bound to drive Ororo—or her—crazy.  
  
Her thoughts were broken by Ororo's soft voice, "I'm sorry, Jean. I donlt mean to sound so bitter. I just...I hate that dream. It's like...like reliving his death for him, over and over again. I...wish I knew who'd done it."  
  
Her eyes clouded over then, and as if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance, "If IU knew who did it, I would kill them with my bare hands."  
  
Just the way she said that made Jean shudder, "Ororo...the police are still working on it. They'll deal with whoever did it..."  
  
"Not if I get to them first."  
  
Jean frowned, "Don't talk that way. It gives me the creeps."  
  
Ororo inhaled deeply as she glanced at Jean, "Sorry. I'll...try to calm down."  
  
"Thanks." Jean smiled brightly, "Let's go upstairs now, and try to catch a few more hours of sleep before school starts, K?"  
  
Ororo forced a smile, "Sure."  
  
The two women were soon heading up the stairs, chatting nonchalantly about the day ahead of them.  
  
Jean hardly noticed the devilish-looking clouds that had collected above the school slowly dispersing as Ororo's mood calmed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Meghan, why don't you tell me how you feel today? Happy? Sad? Angry? Do you feel scared? Or what about tired? Are you feeling tired today, Meghan?"  
  
Meghan stared blankly ahead, stubbornluy refusing to say a word.  
  
Doctor Wrights tried again, "You don't have to actually TALK, Meg. You can write it down, if you'd lie.Or you can draw a picture. Would you like that?"  
  
He slid a poiece of paper and a crayon across the table to her as he spoke, smiling encourasgingly.  
  
Ororo, who stood with Mark against the wall nearby, leaned forward anxiously as Meghan's eyes flicked to the crayon.  
  
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath at the simply gesture, all of them hoping for her to do the simple act of drawing; they all exhaled in disappointment when her gaze returned to the window.  
  
Doctor Wrights sat back and in sighed confusion, "I don't understand it. No matter what we try, it just doesn't seem to break through. She's built up such a strong shell that we can't get through."  
  
Ororo had been visiting Meghan loyally for a week now, and since she'd come every day, she'd seen no more of her strange panic attacks.  
  
In fact, every time she and Mark were in the room with her, she simply sat motionless with her eyes glued to one spot; it was almost more disturbing then the fits, in Ororo's opinion.  
  
Lately, Ororo had been sitting in on Meghan's sessions with the therapists, interested in seeing how they worked with her and trying to see for herself how she could help.  
  
Mark stayed with her loyally, standing nearby constantly to watch Meghan's reactions to the doctors, always willing to sit with her and hold her in his lap if it made her feel better; of course, this was noticed by Ororo and given the proper consideration.  
  
"He's very kind, for a man," she pondered, watching as he sat across from Meghan and doodled on some paper, "I wonder how he's become so good with kids...?"  
  
As soon as the colors left, Ororo joined Mark and Meghan at the table, admiring Mark's works of art (Meghan had yet to even stop staring at the wall.  
  
"You like?" Mark asked jokingly as he colored in a picture of a sun.  
  
Ororo nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, yes, I especially like the one with the red flower. It's so vibrant."  
  
They both chuckled slightly and Mark slid the piece of paper over to Meghan, "That one's for Meg, here. I'm sure she likes flowers. Don't you, Meg?"  
  
Meghan's eyes seemed to gloss over with something of a memory, and Ororo saw a flickering shadow of horror pass over her face for a mere second.  
  
Frowning, she reached out and took the girl's hand in her own, "Meg...? What's wrong? Don't you like the picture?"  
  
Meghan started and looked around, eyes resting on Ororo's for an instant; Ororo saw how much pain and sorrow they stored, and felt her heart break.  
  
She forced a smile and hesitantly reached out to touch her hair; Meghan's eyes followed her hand suspiciously, her heart shuddering in her chest.  
  
Ororo smiled at her softly, "It's ok, Meghan. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise..."  
  
Mark watched in awe, mouth hanging open slightly, as he watched Meghan's tense form relax.  
  
"How'd you do that?" he asked after a moment as Meghan's eyes cleared and she actually studied Ororo, "I mean...we have the BEST doctors studying her...and they use these tried-and-true techniques that totally fail...and then here YOU come along, and just hold her hand...and she COMPLETELY opens up to you. That's just...amazing."  
  
Ororo felt her cheeks burning with pride as Meghan's eyes bored into her own; they held no more fear now, only trust.  
  
"I...I don't know how I do it. I...guess she must just like me."  
  
Meghan looked away then and glanced at Mark as she reached for a blank piece of paper; hesitantly, she slid it closer and then picked up a crayon, keeping her eyes on Mark the entire time.  
  
Mark grinned, "Are you gonna draw us a picture, Meg?"  
  
Meghan gazed at him a moment longer, and then bent over her work, leaning so far over it that no one could see what she was doing.  
  
Mark shook his head and smiled, "She sure has her own way about things, huh?"  
  
Ororo sighed absently, "Yes...she does."  
  
Meghan glanced up at Ororo, gazed at her a moment, and returned to her drawing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The end of the day came abruptly and cruelly, bringing with it the faintest traces of a thunderstorm.  
  
The dark sky above crackled with electricity, and the icy wind blew with suvch force that the power lines outside the insane asylum heaved dangerously towards the streets, causing the lights within the building to flicker eerily.  
  
Meghan sat stark still in her chair, still bent over her drawing, still focused entirely upon the piece of paper before her.  
  
Ororo had left a while ago, at the closing of visiting hours, and Mark had escorted her away; Meghan was now trembling slightly as she kept one eye on the door that led into the cold room she sat in.  
  
She shifted nervously as the clock on the wall high above her ticked endlessly, its clicking and whirring echoing around her.  
  
That was the only sound.  
  
Her crayon on the paper was silent.  
  
So was her breathing.  
  
She almost wanted to scream, just to make certain there was still sound.  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
She swallowed and focused on her paper, at the red lines and curves and spirals; she really wasn't sure WHAT this was supposed to be a picture of.  
  
All she knew was that it had to be RED.  
  
It all had to be very, very red.  
  
She could feel her heart shivering in her chest and she inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself.  
  
Her eyes flicked to the door as footsteps sounded.  
  
They came closer, stopped at the door, and then walked on.  
  
She exhaled.  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
She was starting to hate that clock and its incessant noise.  
  
She looked up at it and watched the hands move for a while.  
  
Then she stopped, because it made her feel like she was falling over.  
  
She glanced around the dark room and started drawing again, softly whsipering words to herself.  
  
"Safe now. Safe here. No more hurt. Safe. She's gone. All gone. Forever."  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
The crayon moved smoothly over the paper, and she felt her tense muscles relax.  
  
"She left. Forgot 'bout me. Left me alone. She can't...can't..."  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
For some reason, Meghan's pulse began to race again, her heart leaping into her throat; something was happening.  
  
Meghan paused, listening.  
  
Footsteps coming down the hall.  
  
She whimpered, swallowed, and glanced at the clock.  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
It was a blank face, staring at her without emotion or mercy.  
  
Meghan's words were blocked by her dry mouth, "...can't...hurt me..."  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
The footsteps stopped at the door.  
  
The handle turned with the faintest of squeak.  
  
Meghan turned her eyes quickly back to her paper and shook her head, "She can't hurt me. She can't hurt me."  
  
Tick. Tick. Tick.  
  
The door opened with a slight groan and someone stepped into the room.  
  
The door shut.  
  
"She can't hurt me. She can't hurt me."  
  
It was really becoming some kind of protective chant.  
  
Meghan's hand shook violently as she attempted to color in the flower she'd just drawn.  
  
"She can't hurt me."  
  
A hand slid the deadbolt into the 'lock' position.  
  
Meghan closed her eyes, feeling her muscles go rigid, "...she can't hurt me."  
  
The footsteps that had walked fluidly around and behind her stopped just as a cool hand gripped the base of her neck and Mystique's breath whispered across her ear, "That's right, Darling. I CAN'T hurt you...as long as you do me a little favor..." 


End file.
